


Lion Taming

by tokiidokii



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: F!Byleth, Headaches & Migraines, Hurt/Comfort, OT3, Other, Post-Time Skip, Pre-Relationship, Sickfic, Vomiting, dimitri is tenderly cared for by those closest to him, set around like chapter 17/18 where Dimitri starts recovering and talking but like the war isnt over
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-15
Updated: 2019-09-15
Packaged: 2020-10-18 22:03:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,001
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20646383
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tokiidokii/pseuds/tokiidokii
Summary: Dimitri has feelings for Dedue and Byleth. Byleth and Dedue have feelings for Dimitri. Byleth comes to this realization while one of Dimitri's headaches gets worse and is determined to make it all work.





	Lion Taming

It was no secret that Dimitri struggled to take care of himself. He was terrible at it, really. 

Byleth noticed things. Despite her quiet demeanor and few words, she paid attention to everything no matter how trivial. It was important to being a mercenary, after all, and lead to much of her skills on the battlefield. She looked unassuming. Solemn. A few might even accuse her of being uncaring.

But she noticed. She saw.

No matter how late she stayed up, or how early she woke, Dimitri was training, pacing the halls, reading strategy. She checked. Since their reunion, she had only seen Dimitri asleep once, physically unable to keep his eye open any longer and asleep at an isolated table in the corner of the dining hall. No one dare disturbed the young prince's rest, and he stayed there for four hours. 

His back ached like hell, bringing out a brief flare of anger before settling back down. But Byleth could see it in his movements - even the meager, uncomfortable rest, too shallow to even dream, had given his body a break. But by the next day, the effect had worn off, leaving Dimitri exhausted once more.

Byleth wondered how long until his body gave out on him completely.

About a week later, on the Friday after their strategy meeting, she found the answer. Dimitri had started to attend, albeit quietly and out of place. While he was there, Byleth noticed the little things. While asking a question, Dimitri didn't even bother to look in her general direction. His shoulders pinched in an unusual way around his neck, clearly stiff, but for reasons unknown to her. Had he fallen asleep at the dining hall again? His gaze remained unfocused...well, moreso than usual. 

She tried not to let him worry her, for she knew these things took time. Dimitri pushed if you pulled. If she were to take any direct action, it would have to be carefully. 

Towards the end of the meeting, Dimitri began blinking. His eye opened and closed, as if to rid it of something irritating. He rubbed it furiously on the back of his glove, and Byleth decided to end the session 15 minutes early before he messed up his other eye too.

Dimitri stood up first, but his legs wobbled and he grabbed onto the back of his chair. The two front legs lifted off the ground before coming back down with a hard smack on the tile, directing everyone else to his unusual struggle. Flustered, Dimitri hurried out, smacking himself on the doorframe. Once he was gone, Dedue stood up.

"Excuse me. I shall go tend to him." Dedue announced. He probably only waited to save Dimitri the embarrassment.

Usually, people hung around the strategy meeting room for a little while after their discussions, whether to chat, review over the day's studies, or simply make dinner plans together. But Byleth had too much on her mind to stick around. She quickly gathered her things in her file folder, bid the room goodbye, and followed after the two men. No one questioned her intentions. She knew they wouldn't.

The pair hadn't made it far when she caught up. Dedue was perceptive, but his attention currently lied on nothing but the prince as he trailed behind him. Dimitri used the wall as though it were a guide, running his hand down the side as he stumbled for the stairs.

"Your highness," Dedue began, trying to place a hand on Dimitri's wrist. "Please, allow me to guide you to your quarters."

"I'm fine." Dimitri said, pulling away, much less curt than he would be with most others. His hand rubbed the wall where it curved to go down to the first floor. "Are- are we at the stairs?"

"My concern is that, in your current condition, you may not be capable of-"

Dimitri's knees buckled with a groan, and his hands left the wall to cradle his head. Dedue's arm shot out to catch him, but he wasn't prepared for Dimitri to simply crumple. Byleth couldn't see what happened next as he clattered down the stone steps with all the grace of a man of his size and his stature covered in metal armor, but she could hear it.

Finally, the horrific noise stopped all at once with a loud, sickening crack at the bottom, Dedue trembling at the top of the st

.  
.  
.  
!

"I'm fine." Dimitri said, pulling away, much less curt than he would be with most others. His hand rubbed the wall where it curved to go down to the first floor. "Are- are we at the stairs?"

"Dedue. Grab Dimitri." Byleth ordered from the end of the hall with the sterness of a command in battle. Dedue didn't hesitate. His large hand clasped around Dimitri's forearm just as his legs gave out, leaving him safely dangling on the top step.

"I am unsure how you saw that coming, but you have my gratitude." He guided Dimitri to sit against the wall, almost entirely slumped over if not for his chest plate keeping him upright. "It has...been sometime since I have seen His Highness last go through this. I forgot how serious the symptoms can get."

"What's wrong with him?" Byleth asked as she approached, hesitantly. Dimitri's breath seemed labored as he curled in on himself, grasping at his head again.

"His Highness is about to begin a migraine episode. He suffers from headaches regularly, but on occassion they will escalate into a full blown migraine if he does not manage his health at the same time." Dedue squatted down next to Dimitri, but he stopped moving as Byleth asked another question.

"We should take him to the infirmary, then?" She asked, laying her cheek against her hand in thought. She had not yet heard of a migraine, but it sounded serious. Dedue peered back up at Byleth, only a short distance despite his squatting position.

"Unfortunately, neither medicine nor magic can end a migraine once they have begun. If His Highness had alerted us of the oncoming auras earlier, perhaps something could have been done. But it is too late now..." Byleth must have frowned, because Dedue furrowed his brow suddenly. "Ah, do not fret. He will recover in time. He just needs a lot of rest, like anyone else would when they fall ill."

"Dedue..." Dimitri called, uncharacteristically meek. His head was raised, but his eye stared somewhere far away from here. Dedue turned his gaze back to face him. "I-I can't...see..."

"It is alright, your vision will return soon. I will get you to your quarters quickly." Effortlessly, Dedue grabbed Dimitri underneath from his arms and lifted him up off the ground. He wrapped Dimitri's right arm around the back of his thick neck, before positioning his right hand between Dimitri's legs to grasp his limp wrist to complete the loop. Awkward looking, but a carry common in combat and likely the most acceptable way to carry incapacitated Dimitri around the old campus with his dignity intact. Byleth was certain he preferred this technique over being princess carried or riding piggyback, anyways. Not that he could protest as his head dangled against Dedue’s back.

"Vision?" Byleth asked, the back of her mind nagging her for asking so many questions at what must be an inappropriate time. Yet there were so many things out there, people and experiences she wanted to understand. If it bothered Dedue, he didn't show it. He just nodded and walked down the stairs.

"Usually, the final symptom before the pain begins is partial loss of vision. It only ever affected his left eye, but..." It was all he had now. Dedue, catching on to Byleth's ignorance on the topic, continued. "Afterwards, his head will ache for about twelve hours. He will then sleep and begin to recover."

"Hmm..." Byleth acknowledged. A twelve hour headache indeed sounded terrible. "It sounds unpleasant. Is there anything I can do to help?"

Dedue remained silent at first. She wondered if he hadn't heard her question, seeing as they were now outside in the open air. 

"Thank you, but I could not ask you to do that. It is my responsibility to take care of His Highness in his time of need."

"It's not about responsibility. I want to help because I care about Dimitri." She responded. Dedue looked back at Dimitri, limply hanging from his grasp. Gears in his head were turning, but Byleth couldn't choose why specifically.

"Well...perhaps he may find your presence...comforting." 

They walked the rest of the way in silence. Few people were milling about the monestary this time of day, which at least made the trip easier. The less they have to explain to other people, the better. It also helped that everyone was still intimidated by the lion prince.

When they arrived at Dimitri's quarters, Dedue pulled out a key from his pocket and unlocked the door as if it were completely natural. Byleth raised an eyebrow at that. Since when did he have a second key made? She supposed it made sense, their closeness resumed after their reunion as if not a moment had passed. The room looked about the way she expected it to - bare, but any items left there before the war lay undisturbed and coated in dust. His bed sat unmade, blankets and pillows strewn about. 

She decided that was how she could make herself useful, quickly tugging off the haphazard blanket and pillows from off the bed. Dedue thanked her as he leaned over, dipping his head foward to lay Dimitri down gently. He groaned, unmoving, which simplified Dedue's job as he began to strip the furs and armor off. Each piece was removed with a surprisingly soft touch from Dedue's large, confident hands, then arranged in a careful pile in the corner. The tender display stirred a warm emotion in her chest she decided felt deeper than simple affection.

He continued until nothing remained but Dimitri's eye patch and his thin underclothes. Despite his strong physique, muscular and riddled with scars, something about the lack of armor made him look...vulnerable. Or, perhaps it was just the way he curled up on himself once undressed.

Her cheeks felt a bit red as she dwelled on the feeling. Should she be observing so intently? Caught off guard by her own rare burst of embarrassment, she stared at the floor as she approached Dedue with the bedding.

"Thank you." She swore the slightest hint of amusement tinged his voice when he took the blankets. She had no time to check, though, as his expression had returned to a deep frown at the sound of Dimitri's pitiful groan. He placed the pillow next to Dimitri's head and patted it gently to let him know it was there. Then, he laid the blanket over the other's huddled form up to his shoulders. Dedue only touched Dimitri when he went to remove his eye patch, large fingers delicately hooking around the-

"Don't." Dimitri hissed as he buried that side of his face into the mattress. Was it not uncomfortable to wear if his head hurt that much?

"As you wish." His fingers retreated, but his hand lingered a moment longer. Byleth felt out of place.

"Shall I fetch anything?" She asked after a moment had passed. She didn't want to intrude, but she felt desperate to make herself useful. No, this wasn't about her. She felt desperate to make herself useful because Dimitri's suffering was all so undeserved, yet so far that was all the past four months had entailed.

"Since you are here....a basin of water, a small towel, and an empty bucket, please. That should suffice." 

Byleth nodded and left Dedue to tend to the prince. She located each item with haste, and returned to the room in record time. Dedue had hardly moved, a faithful guard at his post. She had tended to the wounded and the sick enough to have an idea of what the items were for, placing the bucket within Dimitri's reach on the ground and the bowl of water on the bedside table. The towel must surely be intended for the water, then, though she looked to Dedue briefly for guidance as she dipped the cloth and wrung it out. The man nodded in approval.

Her small fingers reached to pull back Dimitri's bangs, consciously trying to mimic Dedue. However, his large hand completely enveloped hers in its gentle grasp to stop her.

"Here." His finger pointed to the nape of Dimitri's neck instead. The towel would sit better there anyways, considering he was halfway face down in the bed. Regardless, she applied the same light touch to the hair covering the back of his neck instead. 

"D-don't touch..." Muscles wound up underneath her fingertips, but relaxed with a shuddering breath of gratitude as she pulled away.

"Now what?"

"Now," Dedue whispered. "we wait."

Twelve hour headache. There was nothing more to be done for the time being. Dedue returned to his post at the door, expression neutral as he watched the prince rest. Was Dedue going to do that for twelve hours?

What a foolish question. Of course he would. While Byleth felt just as dedicated to taking care of Dimitri, she saw no reason not to make herself comfortable. She settled down on the floor against the wall across from the bedside before pulling out a small book Ashe had recommended to her from the library. She had been meaning to find time to read this, and it wasn't like she was going anywhere anytime soon. The room went silent saved for Dimitri's ragged breathing. 

The pain must be getting worse.

Time passed uneventfully. The bright light of day muffled by the thin curtains gradually morphed into a muddy orange. Byleth replaced the cool cloth once or twice upon Dedue's reminder, and her chest squeezed at Dimitri's flinch each time. She wished to take his head into her lap and stroke it, run her fingers through his hair and reassure him as he laid on her thighs, but she could not work up the courage for some reason.

A creak and peripheral movement drew Byleth's attention. Dimitri had kept quiet for the most part, with the occasional soft groan as he battled with the pain, but he hadn't budged since he had mashed his face down into the covers. He pushed himself up with his left arm, shaking, as if the action took all his might. His body wobbled while he tried to right himself, bloodshot eye stark against his ghostly pale face. He swung his legs over the side of the bed, then stopped abruptly.

"Dimitri?" Byleth questioned. She felt no fear, but she took a slightly defensive stance in case he did something unpredictable. 

"D-dedue..." He swallowed thickly. His body suddenly lurched and threatened to throw him over the side of the bed. 

But both Dedue and Byleth were at his side, bracing him before he could tip over. He retched again, deeper, covering his mouth with his shaking hand. Her assumptions about the bucket were confirmed as Dedue grabbed it and pressed it into Dimitri's lap.

"Use this."

He nodded weakly. His hair hung over his face, gripping the sides of the metal in a white knuckled grasp. Dimitri hunched over further with a wet heave, but Dedue kept his hand firmly around his bicep to keep him from falling overboard. Her own grip feeling redundant, Byleth instead pulled Dimitri's hair from his face and bunched it up in her hands behind his head. Dimitri began to vomit. Although it didn't take long for him to empty his stomach of his meager lunch, his body did not allow respite as he was overcome with waves of dry heaving.

His breathing grew erratic, further pained. He tried to suck in a breath, but another unproductive heave cut him off. He choked on his own sticky throat, coughing and wheezing in desperation as he fought to take in air.

"I c-can't...! Hh!" 

"Let it take its course. You're almost done." Dedue comforted, and Byleth pretended not to notice the way his thumb traced small circles on the bare skin Dimitri's arm. Dimitri took in a stuttered gasp as he tried to let his body take over.

But she would remember it. She would remember any trick that helped soothe Dimitri in this state were it truly to be a common occurrence. Her mind wandered to the idea of Dimitri in her absence. In Dedue's abscence. All alone, wracked with pain, lungs burning as he could not take in even a simple breath as he retched from the agony. A pit in her stomach ached at the idea.

She couldn't imagine a future without Dimitri having the two of them by his side. It simply didn't exist.

A warbled whine broke her from her thoughts. Dimitri panted hard, his cheeks tinged pink and blotchy from the strain. Once it seemed he was finished, she twisted around to retrieve the discarded towel from behind Dimitri's back. She dunked it in the basin and squeezed it with one hand before wiping off the corners of his mouth and the mess streaming from his nose and his eye. Byleth only released his hair once his face was clean. Dedue, meanwhile, took the bucket and set it aside on the floor. A pair of warped grooves lined the sides, a perfect impression of Dimitri's fingers.

"It's alright." Dedue assured. "It's alright...it's alright..."

She started to rub his back, only for her fingertips to bump into Dedue's. Dedue pulled back automatically, but Byleth met his eyes.

"It's okay." It probably sounded like more reassurance to Dimitri's sensitive ears, worlds away from the actual interaction he found himself sat between. After a moment, Dedue returned his hand. Byleth settled her own on Dimitri's shoulder instead with a squeeze. 

"Uh...uff..." Dimitri's lips formed an approximation of words, but the sound came out in an empty rasp. 

He slumped against her in a movement that Byleth could not discern whether it had been voluntary. She tried not to tense, allowing him to stay there as he slowly caught his breath. His warmth seeped into her side as the drum-tight tension in his muscles relaxed minutely.

That was odd. Now she found her own breath difficult to maintain, and she decided the things that bothered her were twofold. First, the degree she enjoyed such intimate contact surprised her. She cared for Dimitri more and more ever since that day she met him six years ago, turning from stranger to capable battle partner to someone she could even call a dear friend. A lot of the people in the monastery became that for her, but Dimitri...She wanted something more than to know him, chat with him, and have the occasional cup of tea with him.

Perhaps it was silly, but her mind wandered to the gift Jeralt bestowed upon her five years ago. Though she had already opened up quite a bit, at the time she hardly fathomed such an idea of someone you loved. A person you wished to dedicate your life to? Why? But after returning to see Dimitri entrenched in darkness, she wanted to spend her entire life doing whatever it took to drag him back out. Was that it? If only her father were still here, to explain when he knew mother was someone he loved.

This led to the second thing that bothered her. Dedue...though not the wisest to social interaction, she had seen soldiers interact with one another all of her life. Close bonds, companionships, late nights, sacrifices...

The way Dedue and Dimitri interacted never struck her in the way the men who were best of friends in her group did. A tension existed, a tenderness she had only seen described in novels burning with passion. Had Dedue been someone Dimitri loved before their separation? Was he already someone he loved? Or did he just wish to be someone Dimitri loved? It hurt to think of Dedue as a rival in that way. He deserved so much more than his lot in life had given, and to trample on his one source of happiness...Surely there must be an alternative.

The three remained in their position for quite awhile. She was following Dedue's lead, but he never made a move or even reacted beyond continuing to rub Dimitri's back. Perhaps he was waiting to see if Dimitri would vomit again, or maybe he simply wanted to offer comfort as long as Dimitri needed it. Maybe both. Their position only broke when Dimitri slowly raised his aching head, nearly an hour after his breathing somewhat returned to normal.

"Would you like to lay down once more, your highness?" 

"Mhm..." Dimitri looked like he had aged a decade, a purple circle darkening under his weary eye. Not a circle of madness or anger - just desperate, pitiful exhaustion. "I'm...tired..."

Byleth stood up and guided Dimitri down onto the cool pillow below. He raised his legs to his chest and hugged his knees in a manner reminiscent of a child. Dedue tucked him back in, and sighed.

"We're about halfway."

Night had fallen while they were tending to Dimitri. Dedue permitted them to light one small candle to keep the room from being utterly pitch, but refused to pull out anymore.

"Bright lights will make it worse." He explained in the smallest whisper he could muster. "But if His Highness needed something urgently, we should not be sitting in the dark."

Byleth made a small noise of understanding. She wished so desperately they could speak, more and more curious about the nature of Dedue and Dimitri's relationship. But it would simply have to wait until the prince's body succumbed.

Another hour came and went. Dedue moved suddenly, and Byleth started, lost in her thoughts as she stared unproductively at her book in the dim candle light.

"Apologies." Dedue said. He assumed a sitting position against the door and folded his arms. "My legs are getting tired."

"Dedue..." Byleth frowned. It suddenly hit her. How often did Dedue watch over Dimitri on his sleepless nights? Dedue always worked so hard, caring for Dimitri, assisting in battle strategy, advising with general information about the region...not to mention, he was one of the strongest soldiers in the army. "Are you tired?"

"It does not matter."

"If you're tired, you should rest." 

"Thank you, but I cannot leave him alone in this state."

"You won't. I'm here." This was the most they had talked the whole night. She tried to keep her voice down, but she felt like this was important enough to break the silence.

"I...am worried, if something happened in my absence..."

"Rest here." She reassured. In reality, she probably needed her rest too, but Dedue put so many people before himself... "If something happens, I'll wake you. I'm scared you'll end up in the same state as him."

That caught Dedue off guard, eyes widening, the exposed whites glimmering in the candlelight.

"I will...be alright. But I appreciate it. Thank you."

Byleth waited for him to say more, but he remained silent. Well, it had been worth a try. 

Time passed more still. Byleth found herself getting a little drowsy too, but never allowed herself to drift. A good thing, too, as eventually she heard Dimitri stir. 

The noise was strange, repetitive. Slow at first, before picking up speed. It must be dead of night by now. What was he doing? Byleth rose to her feet and slowly approached the bed, getting a glimpse of Dimitri moving enough to rock the bed.

"Dimitri?" She hissed. Dimitri stopped moving. "What's wrong?"

She could barely make out the outline of his shape, still huddled in a tight little ball. However, as her eyes slowly adjusted to the darker area of the room, she realized he had a hand pressed up to his eye patch. Before she could ask what was wrong, he furiously began to scratch the area.

"Hey, stop-" She whispered as she lightly put wrapped her fingers around his wrist. He was much too strong to treat such a delicate area so roughly, let alone in delirium like this. Dimitri seized in a violent flinch, but he did not lash out. "What's wrong?"

"This...horrible sensation..." He strained from his hoarse throat as his fingers rubbed against the eyepatch again. He at least either had the sense of mind not to take it off or so little sense of mind he didn’t realize it was still on, otherwise he would have ripped open old wounds immediately. "...incessant itch..."

Itch? Byleth looked to Dedue for help and found him still sitting on the floor with his arms crossed. Perhaps he had finally fallen asleep after all...? No matter, she could take of Dimitri herself. She pulled Dimitri's hand from his face and was met by an irritated whine and some resistance as he pulled his hand back.

"You'll hurt yourself. Dimitri, please...let me help."

He hesitated, and then, his wrist slowly went limp. She set it back down on the bed, then awkwardly perched onto the mattress next to his pillow. She neither sat nor stood, an odd position that she was happy to endure. With a little coaxing, she managed to ease Dimitri onto his back with his head on the pillow. Afterwards, she hooked a finger under the string of his eyepatch as she'd seen Dedue do before.

"N-no...don't...don't look at me..." He placed his on top of hers, weak fingers trembling horribly.

"It's too dark to see."

He was either satisfied enough with that answer or tired of fighting, because his hand slumped over and fell back onto the bed. She fully discarded the eye patch, leaving it to the bedside table next to the old basin of water. True to her word, she could barely see the features of his face - it was apparent his eye was missing, and little more.

But touch revealed the details as she settled her hand on the irritated skin. Horrible, jagged lines of partially healed skin riddled the socket, sealing it shut while it tried to knit the area back together. Just by running her fingertips over the edges she could tell it was angry and inflamed, area radiating heat as it continued its slow repair. She wondered whether it contributed to the cause of his migraine, or was simply another side effect. Painful, itchy scars probably only compounded his suffering either way.

Slowly, she dragged the tips of her clean nails lightly across his face. He grumbled incoherently, unsatisfied, but did not interfere and closed his eye. She most likely shouldn't be touching this area at all, but she doubted Dimitri could wait long enough for her to retrieve a salve before he ripped himself open. That would create a whole host of issues he lacked time, patience, and energy to deal with. Byleth kept up the gentle motion until he rolled onto his side of his own accord. She pulled back, but she remained at his bedside a little longer. 

"B-byleth..." The croak of her name came out like a plea. She jumped, not expecting him to speak, let alone call her by name.

"Yes?"

"I'm so...tired..." He started to shake. Dimitri had his face to the wall, but Byleth realized what was happening as he curled in on himself with a sharp hitch in his breath. "I-I...can't bear it. Make it end...loud, loud, it's so loud! They wish to split my head in two!"

A stifled sob reached her ears and shot pain directly into her chest. Her desire from earlier shot through her mind and Byleth's response was almost automatic as she ran her fingers through his dirty hair. It felt so greasy and in need of a wash. Yet, it did not repulse her. The current incident made it clear Dimitri did not often care for his own needs. The prince had finally reached the upper limits of his pain threshold, at least in his current state with no food and little sleep. Most people's bodies would have given out long before reaching this point. Dimitri emitted a soft, almost frustrated wail, then wracked with another wave of sobs.

"I...have not seen him this bad in quite some time." Dedue suddenly spoke up behind her. Byleth jumped and whipped around to look at Dedue. "Sorry."

"It's fine. What should we do now?"

"I'm afraid all we can do is comfort him. It just...has to run its course." 

"I was afraid of that..." Byleth frowned. She glanced at Dimitri before facing Dedue. "You should comfort him too, then.”

"Hm?" The offer surprised him, but he quickly regained his composure. "Well, I am happy to do anything I can in order to aid His Highness..."

Dedue stood next to her and let his large hand lay on Dimitri’s shoulder after a moment of hesitation. Being asked to comfort him directly must have made him self-conscious, but his touch contained tenderness and caring all the same. She wondered if he also had such a pain in his chest watching Dimitri break like this. They both stood there, petting Dimitri like some bizarre, wounded animal, listening to his quiet cries helplessly in the near dark.

To Byleth's relief and certainly Dedue's as well, Dimitri cried himself out. It didn't even take that long before his sobs were cut off by heavy yawns, harsh breaths growing further and further apart. Dimitri grew still. Quiet. Stress drained from his shoulders with not an ounce of energy left to expend. Byleth moved her hand to tuck some hair behind his ear as Dedue pulled the blanket higher up on his shoulders.

Dimitri slept.

"We should rest." Dedue said. "It will be quite a while before he rises again."

**Author's Note:**

> please look forward to part two! dedue and byleth will discuss Feelings, and dimitri will get further doted on when he's a little more coherent.


End file.
